What to pay attention to when registering
Organizing book storage is a forward-thinking solution that helps not only to systematize book accumulations, but also at the same time make the interior more original. The following techniques will help you solve the problem:
- Choose the right room. It is worth abandoning the idea of installing a library in the kitchen with its changes in temperature and humidity. It is also not recommended to install bookshelves in dark, unventilated utility rooms (pantry, basement).
In the recreation area Source www.klasbagger.se
- Do not disturb the style of the room. Bookcases, shelves and racks are selected in a suitable color palette and style. If the interior is decorated in a classic style, choose furniture with a touch of antiquity: solid wood shelves or closed cabinets with glazed doors. Modern interiors are more democratic, and allow the use of both classic furniture (in case of mixing styles) and modern designs on a metal frame.
Full use of space Source st.hzcdn.com
- Take care of old publications. Such specimens require special care. The best choice would be a glass cabinet that protects books from dust.
In the attic Source image.bluprin.com
- Think about safety. Hanging shelves lined with books must be securely fastened; the same applies to all floor structures. The condition is especially important in a home where there are children.
Bookshelves above the sofa Source design-homes.ru
- Take care of comfort. A home library is more than just cabinets and shelves. Armchairs, a sofa and a coffee table will allow you to create a reading area, and using the library will become much more comfortable.
Kingdom of books Source roomester.ru
- Consider convenience. A convenient tool for searching for books will be to systematize them according to some principle. The collection can be divided into genres or areas of knowledge, arranged alphabetically, and separated children's publications from adult ones. If there are a lot of books, a catalogue, electronic or paper, will help.
With notes of ethno-style Source www.thehousethata-mbuilt.com
- Don't forget about replenishment. Having appeared, the library grows from year to year, and this must be taken into account. It’s good if there is free space in reserve on the shelves or in the closet, and you know where, if necessary, you can put an additional rack.
Library in the bedroom Source www.smh.com.au
See also: Catalog of projects of wooden houses with a mansard roof.
Restoration of old cabinets
Furniture that was made in Soviet times is of very high quality. Many homes have cabinets that have been used for decades and remain intact. True, their appearance does not always fit into modern interiors. But this is not a reason to replace them with new furniture; it is enough to restore them, change the external design, and the result is an exclusive and stylish thing. Doing this is not so difficult and such work is often done at home.
You can change the color of the cabinet in three stages:
- stripping;
- primer;
- painting.
First, the layer of old varnish and paint is erased with sandpaper. Next, if necessary, the existing defects are filled with wood putty. After this, the surface of the cabinet is primed with a special compound. Finally, the furniture is painted in any chosen shades. After painting, the restored cabinet can be left as is, or decorative elements can be added. For example, if you cut out patterns or other details from paper, glue them to the surface with PVA glue and cover them with transparent varnish, you will get designer furniture made using the decoupage technique. For a country style, you can decorate the surface of the cabinet with craquelure technology, painting it with special paints and varnishes to create an antique effect. Sometimes textile lace or wallpaper is glued onto furniture, which looks very unusual and sophisticated. There are many stylistic decorative details available on the market that you can use to create a stylish, modern design for outdated cabinets.
If there are a lot of books
If the library is really large, the optimal solution for its organization would be to allocate a separate room. A room entirely devoted to books is rare; more often it is adapted for an office. Private libraries began to appear en masse about two centuries ago; Since then, the tradition has been preserved of decorating a room dedicated to printed publications in the style of Victorian interiors.
Interior with fireplace Source st.hzcdn.com
The classical library plays an important role in the home. This is a great place to concentrate, work, and re-read your favorite volume in silence. A respectable environment will be a good backdrop for communicating with guests or business partners.
Everything for comfortable reading Source i.pinimg.com
A home library, the interior of which is made in a traditional style, is a stylish and comfortable room with a special atmosphere. Large windows and high light ceilings decorated with stucco give it a particularly impressive look. For the walls, a color is selected from a calm, warm palette, for example, gray, coffee, olive. Parquet or high-quality laminate is used as flooring; the windows are decorated with heavy curtains that harmonize with carpets and furniture upholstery.
Dark wood interior Source i.pinimg.com
For a traditional interior, choose tall classic cabinets made of solid wood, comfortable and spacious. You can use both open (racks) and closed cabinets with hinged doors and drawers.
In a bright interior Source dekormyhome.ru
See also: Catalog of companies that specialize in glazing and installation of roof windows.
There are no clear criteria for the number and height of bookshelves. Since books can have very different formats, it is useful when one cabinet has shelves of different heights. Library cabinets are decorated with carvings, original fittings, and gilding.
Shelves are never superfluous Source st.hzcdn.com
To make the most of the usable space, bookcases are made to order. Thus, narrow corner cabinets fit organically into the space between the window and the entrance opening. For high shelves, a wooden ladder must be made that matches the color of the rest of the furniture.
Wardrobe with ladder Source i.pinimg.com
The convenience of a library is determined not only by the capacity of the shelves, but also by how comfortable it will be to spend time reading books here. Therefore, in a room given over to a library, you need armchairs, a sofa, and a coffee table. If the room serves as an office, a work (writing) table, chairs, bureau or chest of drawers are added.
Library in the office Source decoor.net
Some general tips
“If you do not want to spoil the impression of the design of your home library and the convenience of its interior, never smoke in this room”
The presence of natural light is very important for the library interior. In daylight, design solutions are perceived from a completely different perspective. Everything looks colorful, aesthetically pleasing, fashionable. If you look at interior catalogs, you will certainly note that panoramic glazing provides the most light. It is not used in home library designs because too much sunlight will kill the books. In this case, we are talking about proper decoration of the window area. It definitely needs to be covered with light curtains.
The window is covered with light curtains
You should also take care of the correct design of the reading area in the library. It is more convenient to read in bright light, which can be provided, for example, by a floor lamp placed directly behind the reader. One more rule for that zone. The library interior should have as many table lamps or floor lamps as there are seating areas.
Place the floor lamp directly behind the reader
Books are excellent dust collectors, so unless they are stored in locked cabinets, the library should triple its weekly wet cleaning or at least vacuum the book shelves.
If you do not want to spoil the impression of the design of your home library and the convenience of its interior, never smoke in this room. The problem is not the possibility of fire. Paper is an excellent odor absorber and will soon make your gorgeous room smell like an army barracks.
When organizing the library space, make sure that you can sit down with a book in your hands not only at the table. Place an ottoman in the room or throw a thick fleecy rug on the floor with thought pillows for comfort.
Place a comfortable ottoman in the library
Seating in the living room
When it is not possible to allocate a whole room for books, the democratic approach wins, and books find a place in different rooms. This solution is suitable for both classic and modern interiors, and most often the choice falls on the living room, as the most spacious room in the house (apartment). To date, the following methods of placing books in the living room are actively used:
- Modular (sectional) furniture. The option fits into most modern interiors, but when choosing, you need to pay attention to such design features as the depth of the shelves. Preference should be given to models designed to store books in one row; It’s convenient if the shelves are height adjustable. Another important parameter is the ratio of the length and thickness of the shelves. The longer and thinner the structure, the more likely it will not support the weight of books.
In the interior of the living room Source i.pinimg.com
How to display books
In this matter, you need to be guided by the fact that searching for the desired volume should not take a lot of time. When designing large libraries, simply arranging the volumes in alphabetical order will not be enough. Here you will have to break them down into thematic subcategories. For example, allocate several shelves for philosophical literature, several for fiction, historical novels, etc. This approach will provide an opportunity to clearly demonstrate your passion for a particular topic.
If we look at the problem from a purely aesthetic side, then grouping books by color is encouraged in library design. This is a great move, even if the spine colors don't match perfectly. It is important to demonstrate the idea itself.
Grouping books by color
Have you inherited a rather tattered book heritage with faded covers? It doesn’t matter, the books can be restored to a presentable appearance, and the library’s interior will be saved. When restoring, they just need to be placed in covers. The latter are made from colorful paper. The name is written on the spine with a marker or glued to it in the form of a sticker with the necessary information. In this form, the books will not be ashamed to be sent to the most modern shelves.
You can make book covers yourself
The next step is to lay out the books in random order. Today no one insists on arranging them in even rows in a strictly vertical form. Books can be stacked, placed at an angle, or a combination of different options. All this will also benefit the interior of the home library.
Arranging books in random order
Although we create decent storage for books, nevertheless, not only they can appear on the shelves of cabinets. Among the plump volumes you can always find a place for decorative items. So, additions in the form of framed photos, cute vases, and cute figurines will look great. Try experimenting with library design and you will see that it can be quite original.
Decorative items will decorate bookshelves
Library in the corridor, on the loggia
One of the non-trivial ways to arrange a library is to arrange it in an unusual place; The corridor is ideally suited for this role. Usually it has an elongated shape and looks empty. One of the long walls is overlooked due to its inconvenient location.
A neat bookcase will expand the poor functionality of the corridor, and, very likely, will become a feature of the interior. A sufficient shelf width will be 25-30 cm (the size of an average book); At the same time, it is important not to forget about comfort - the width of the passage should not be less than 90 cm.
At the exit Source st.hzcdn.com
It's easy to make a boring space around the stairs stylish and useful. You can use open or closed shelves, or a combination of both. More interesting options for a mini library at home are obtained when the book storage is designed simultaneously with the staircase. Then you will surprise guests with unusual built-in (integrated) shelves, made in the same style as the surrounding space.
Under the stairs Source i1.wp.com
If the staircase structure is open, then it is easy to organize a reading corner under it. One comfortable chair and proper lighting are enough to create a place for privacy with your favorite book. Complete comfort will be provided by a soft blanket and a pair of pillows.
A balcony or loggia is converted into a library according to the same principle: bookshelves are hung or a cabinet is installed, an armchair is brought. Sometimes a full-fledged office is arranged in such a room; in both cases it is important to take care of insulation.
On the balcony Source ic.pics.livejournal.com
There will be a library, but where?
Over time, any home accumulates a mass of intellectual treasures in the form of books, periodicals, children's literature, textbooks and other things, which need to be stored somewhere. Pictures of a non-trivial home library design appear before your eyes. But don't rush to empty the entire room. Perhaps book luggage can be placed in a limited space?
The beauty of the solution is that such a mini-library can be organized in any corner of the apartment, near any wall, and at the same time not violate the basic principle of storing literature - its availability for regular use.
A mini-library can be organized in any corner of the apartment
In the design of such a library, the leading role will be played by open shelving and hanging shelves, which can be grouped in any way. They may have a through design. Wallpaper visible behind the spines of books will only make the library design homey.
To store books, it would be correct to choose a dry, well-ventilated space, so you should not take them into the kitchen. This room has its own arsenal of literature:
- cuttings of culinary recipes;
- cookbooks;
- notebooks with traditional family dishes.
A specific archive can be placed on a shelf, but still, given the specific microclimate of the kitchen, it is better to hide it in a closed cabinet.
Bookshelves in the kitchen interior
We will not talk about the interior of a home library in small apartments. There simply isn't room for bookcases here. The library will be moved to the upper tier and will be presented in a mezzanine state.
Placing books on the top tier
A solution that is not often encountered is to design a library on a loggia. There is enough space there to create a cozy interior. On cool days, you can move to any part of the apartment to read books.
Home library on the balcony
The book depository can be moved out into the corridor, equipped under the stairs, fit into a room of any functionality, but if possible, it is still better to allocate a separate room for it.
Library as a decorative element
The interior design of a modern library does not use developments characteristic of the classical tradition. It is not following the norms that is valued here, but experimentation. For this reason, in modern living rooms and offices there are racks and shelves of the most non-standard configurations, many of which are made personally by the owners.
Such designs inevitably turn into the interior highlight of the room. The only significant drawback of most of these shelves is their limited capacity.
Creative solution Source st.hzcdn.com
There is another way to turn books into decorative elements. To do this, they are sorted by the color of the covers, and it doesn’t matter if they don’t match perfectly - the shelves look bright and conceptual. The problem with this method is that in the average library the distribution of cover colors is very uneven, and a beautiful effect may not be achieved. If this is your case, wrap the covers in paper of your desired color. To get a stylish result, you can choose three or four shades for wrapping, and sign the names or stick on stickers.
All the colors of the rainbow Source novaonidc.vn
Style rules for library design
- The size arrangement is ideal, but monotonous . Not all the books in the library are the same size, which seems to be a discouraging reason that creates the appearance of clutter. To solve this problem, arrange books that may meet certain separation criteria, such as foreign authors or adventure novels of similar sizes, and you will place them in vertical groups that alternate on the shelf with horizontal groups and thus hide the difference in height.
- An unexpected library element can also consist of several groups of books that are arranged upside down . An equally amazing idea is to arrange the library by color, but this means that there must be a fairly large collection of books, in which case it will not be difficult to implement the option in practice.
- Pair books with jewelry when you have a large book collection . Paintings, photographs, small collectibles or travel memories will look great on shelves.
- Vinyls, in particular, can easily sit on library shelves among books and other decorations. There is also space for photo albums or folders with coin or stamp collections.
- Choose small, succulent plants that don't require much light or special care, and place them on the shelves between books. Use decorative pots.
IN home library the key is also a chair or sofa. There are no special rules when it comes to design - be it a single chair or seating for several people. It also depends on the size of the room. Although in the case of a library, all minimalist forms are unlikely to work. It is better to buy a soft, large and traditional chair or sofa. It is important that the piece of furniture that will be used for reading allows free passage next to it, and if there are more seats than one in the plans, they should be facing each other, and not vice versa.
Arrangement of the reading area
In addition to choosing furniture for your home library, you also need to pay attention to arranging the reading area. Mandatory aspects of the design of this space are the following:
- A soft corner including a sofa and armchairs. A corner sofa would also be a fairly comfortable option. Here the owner can only rely on his personal choice, because first of all, the place for reading should be comfortable.
- To create a complete composition, these pieces of furniture should be complemented by a coffee table or desk.
- When choosing furniture for the reading area, you must adhere to a single style direction. This approach assumes that all items match the same design, color, silhouette and lines. For example, it is necessary to decorate the library premises in a classic style. This style direction corresponds to furniture made of wood and furniture upholstered in leather, and this interior will be complemented by parquet flooring and a natural carpet. If desired, the classic interior can be supplemented with paintings, bas-reliefs, and an antique grandfather clock.
Classic design in library design is considered to be the most traditional solution. However, it cannot be called a universal approach. The choice of style direction is determined by the preferences of the owner, and today, along with the classics, furniture models in the Art Nouveau style are also gaining popularity.
Home photo library:
Library in the office: large bookcases and walls in the interior
Perhaps the most common place to place a library is an office. If your apartment has such a room, then you are in luck. The first associations that arise when imagining the interior: massive furniture in dark shades, a leather chair and a sofa with a carriage frame. Accordingly, large bookcases in the interior of the office will look very harmonious not only in the photo. This is a classic style that is always fashionable. If you are a supporter of everything modern, then you can install bookshelves of an original shape in the form of various inscriptions and patterns.
Armed with all the above recommendations for decorating a library in different parts of the apartment, you will get the interior of your dreams. And its crown will be the collection of books you have collected over the years.
Furniture selection criteria
Cabinets and book racks are divided into types depending on their placement. According to this criterion they are divided into:
- wall;
- island;
- corner.
Installing wall furniture involves placing it close to the wall. This method is the most common today and is applied to large models. Small racks like shelves are hung on the wall and significantly save space in the library.
Corner furniture for a home library consists of elements that connect two sections into a corner. Such details will allow you to use any corners in the room for storing books, even inconvenient and narrow areas. This is very convenient for small apartments.
An island cabinet can be placed anywhere, either near a wall or in the center of the room. Island furniture differs from wall furniture in its identical appearance on all sides. In addition, such models are usually wider than wall-mounted furniture. Due to their width, they remain stable without any additional fastenings. Island models are convenient because books can be placed in them in two rows, with bindings on both sides. Also, in addition to storing books, such furniture can also be used to divide a room into zones.
Features of the cabinet equipment
Any room in an apartment or house can be equipped as home library offices. After all, not everyone has the opportunity to allocate a separate room for this purpose. In this case, the library can be combined with a bedroom, dining room or living room. In some cases, even a corridor room is used to arrange such a space.
Before you start work, you need to pay attention to the decoration of the room. The flooring must be strong enough to support the weight of the book shelves. You should also make sure that there is no excessive humidity in the selected room. This may be indicated by dampness and mold on the walls. Staying in such conditions, the books will be damaged over time. Let's take a closer look at all the aspects regarding arranging a home library.
